Woman indicted in attempted robbery of Dover gas station from 2009

Thursday

Oct 4, 2012 at 3:37 PMOct 4, 2012 at 3:37 PM

By ANDREA BULFINCHabulfinch@fosters.com

DOVER — An indictment has been issued in connection with an attempted robbery more than three years ago at the Longhill Road Shell gas station. Wendy Nichols, 46, has been charged with the class B felony of attempted robbery for the incident police responded to Aug. 20, 2009 at approximately 1:22 a.m. responding to the clerk on duty’s report that a masked woman came into the store with two bags and ordered the clerk to fill them with money. The clerk refused Nichols request and there was no weapon shown during the incident and no one was injured.No suspect was initially identified in the case initially, police say; however, using forensic evidence, which Lt. Detective Brant Dolleman said he could not comment on Wednesday evening, the Special Investigations Bureau was able to identify Nichols as a suspect in January 2011. In this case, Dolleman said, the arrest step was skipped and a direct indictment of Nichols was made. Being that she had no ties to the community with a last known address in Mass., and, more pertinently, that the case occurred a couple years ago, police were able to make a direct indictment, sending the case right to arraignment in court as opposed Nichols appearing before a grand jury. Police found Nichols in April of this year and complete the investigation.According to police, the case was then assigned to the Strafford County Attorney’s Office for prosecution, who presented the case to the Strafford County grand jury on Sept. 20, 2012. The grand jury determined there is probable cause for the case to go forward. Nichols is scheduled to appear for arraignment today at 9 a.m. at Strafford County Superior Court.